W.E.A.

Star (Christchurch), Issue 16449, 10 June 1921, Page 7

W.E.A.

ITS BEGINNING. ' (Contributed.) Education is the most popular word in the vocabulary of the nation to-day. Nearly every s'oeial institution has upon its list of activities some form of imparting education on varied subjects. The Government of every advanced country are legislating so as to give to every child the facilities of a good education, and in some cases are extending the school period of a child’s life* These awakenings to t-heftvalue of education have been brought about largely, and particularly in Britain, by the Co-operative Movement, the Trades’ union Movement, and the Workers’ Educational Association.

In fact the Workers’ Educational Association sprang from tlie enthusiasm of Mr Albert Monsbridge, who was anxious to see co-operative educational effort directed towards noil-vocational studies, while, ns a university extension student and a strong believer in trades unionism, lie saw the necessity for drawing the. universities and the" working classes into a close relationship. Before thjs time there was formed the ltuskin College, Oxford, in 1891. This college was brought into being from the recognition by the. trade union movement, that if it is to attain its social and political ideals it must provide for the training of its leaders. Out of this college has grown the Central Labour College, which was established in 1909. It was formed by a group representing the South Welsh miners and the National Union of Railwayman, who considered Ruskin College indefinite in its purpose and teaching..

Unfortunately these two attempts to educate the working class only reached a few who were able to go to the colleges. Thus a bigger scheme was necessary to meet the demand of tho people for a higher education. Mr Monsbridge realised the demand, but felt Viow futile were the attempts made to meet it. Thus, in 1903. the W.E.A. took definite form, and in 1900 the first tutorial class was started at Rochdale. with Mr 11. 11. Tawney as tutor-

After this the whole question of university tutorial classes was fully debated at a conference at Oxford, and the result was the publication of a report called “ Oxford and Working Class Education,” whch soon convinced other universities of the great opportunities presented by the W.E.A. for bringing university teaching to men and women. The associaton started many activities, such as classes, lectures, study circles, conferences, summer schools, the creation of local interest in elementary education, and tho publication of literature.

The association describes itself as a federation of over 3000 educational and workers’ organisations, noil-sectarian and non-pplitical. It has now spread to Australia, Canada, South Africa and New Zealand, its president being Canon William Temple, now Bishop of Manchester.

In 1914 tlie W.E.A. reached New Zealand, and started in a very modest way. Before its arrival in Christchurch a few ardent souls had been observing its career in the Old Land, and when Mr Meredith Atkinson was in Australia, founding the movement, there, this littlo band of Christchurch enthusiasts sent an invitation to him to visit New Zealand. The first year was devoted to lectures, but in 1915 the tutorial classes were formed. The movement started with one or two classes in the large towns, but to-day the classes are scattered throughout the whole country. Rangiora, Waimate, Pareora, and even small towns on tho West Coast have their classes, this only in our own university district.

News has come to hand of the great strides thst bav«* been made at Invercargill , where four tutorial classes are ip session- The subjects reveal the keen interest taken by the students in present-day problems, and include Economics, Psychology, History and English Literature. No doubt in the near future there will be scattered throughout every little village, and in every town, numbers of classes under tho W.E.A., covering a field which our educational system never could have reached. This increased intelligence of our own people must essentially reflect itself in our political and economic life.